Automated 3-D modeling of shoe parts

ABSTRACT

Manufacturing of a shoe is enhanced by creating 3-D models of shoe parts. For example, a laser beam may be projected onto a shoe-part surface, such that a projected laser line appears on the shoe part. An image of the projected laser line may be analyzed to determine coordinate information, which may be converted into geometric coordinate values usable to create a 3-D model of the shoe part. Once a 3-D model is known and is converted to a coordinate system recognized by shoe-manufacturing tools, certain manufacturing steps may be automated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Non-Provisional Patent application is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/468,521, filed Aug. 26, 2014, Now U.S. Pat. No.10,393,512, and titled “AUTOMATED 3-D MODELING OF SHOE PARTS,” which isa continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/299,827, filedNov. 18, 2011, Now U.S. Pat. No. 8,849,620, titled “AUTOMATED 3-DMODELING OF SHOE PARTS.” Each of the aforementioned priorityapplications is incorporated herein by reference in the entirety.

BACKGROUND

Manufacturing a shoe typically requires manipulation ofthree-dimensional shoe parts, such as by forming, placing, andassembling the parts. Some methods of completing these steps, such asthose that rely heavily on manual execution, may be resource intensiveand may have a high rate of variability.

SUMMARY

This high-level overview of various aspects of the invention provides anoverview of the disclosure and introduces a selection of concepts thatare further described in the detailed-description section below. Thissummary is not intended to identify key features or essential featuresof the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aidin isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In brief and at a high level, this disclosure describes, among otherthings, analyzing scans of a shoe part to generate dimension data, whichis useable to model three-dimensional (3-D) features of the shoe part.For example, a laser beam may be projected onto a shoe-part surface,such that a projected laser line appears on the surface and follows asurface contour creating a cross-section of the shoe-part surface.Multiple images of the projected laser line may be combined to create a3-D model of the shoe part. Once a 3-D model is known and is convertedto a coordinate system recognized by, for example, a robot tool path,certain manufacturing steps may be automated.

An exemplary system that analyzes scans of a shoe part to generatedimension data may be comprised of various components, such a shoe-partmoving apparatus that retains the shoe part and moves the shoe partthrough a range of positions (e.g., forward/backward, 360-degreerotation, etc.). In addition, an exemplary system may comprise a laserthat projects a laser beam onto a section of the shoe part as the shoepart is moved to a position of the range of positions, such that aprojected laser line extends across the section. Another component of anexemplary system may comprise a camera that records multiple images ofthe projected laser line, each image depicting a representation of theprojected laser line extending across the section. Moreover, anexemplary system may comprise computer storage media having storedthereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by acomputing device, enable the computing device to analyze the imagesdepicting the representation.

An exemplary system may be comprised of one or multiple lasers and oneor multiple cameras. For example, multiple lasers and cameras may beutilized when a surface of a shoe part may be difficult to scan withonly one laser and camera. In addition, lasers and cameras may bearranged at various positions respective to the shoe part, such asperpendicular to a shoe part or angled respective to a shoe part.Further, camera settings (e.g., aperture, shutter speed, etc.) may bevaried depending on colors of shoe parts.

An exemplary method for analyzing scans of a shoe part to generatedimension data, which is useable to model three-dimensional (3-D)features of the shoe part, may have various steps. For example, a laserbeam may be projected onto a shoe-part surface of the shoe part that iscomprised of a surface topography. A projected laser line may extendacross a section of the shoe-part surface. In addition, an image may berecorded depicting a representation of the projected laser line, andcoordinate points may be determined that define the representation ofthe line as depicted in the image. The coordinate points may be combinedwith a plurality of other coordinate points derived from additionalimages, such that a combination of coordinate points that represent thesurface topography are compiled. The combination of coordinate pointsmay be converted into geometric coordinate points that represent a 3-Dmodel of the surface topography.

In another exemplary method, a first shoe part may be attached onto asecond shoe part, such that a terminal edge of the first shoe partencircles the second shoe part. A laser beam may be projected onto thefirst shoe part and the second shoe part, such that a first segment of aprojected laser line extends on the first shoe part, and a secondsegment extends on the second shoe part. An image may be recorded thatdepicts a first-segment representation and a second-segmentrepresentation. An interface region portion between the first-segmentrepresentation and a second-segment representation may represent aposition of the terminal edge, and a coordinate point of the interfaceregion may be determined. The coordinate point may be converted to ageometric coordinate point of the second shoe part and deemed a positionon the second shoe part that is aligned with the terminal edge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrative aspects of the present invention are described in detailbelow with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of an exemplary system for automated3-D modeling of shoe parts;

FIGS. 2a, 2b, and 2c depict schematic diagrams of exemplary systems forautomated 3-D modeling of a shoe bottom in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIGS. 3a and 3b depict schematic diagrams of exemplary systems forautomated 3-D modeling of a shoe upper;

FIG. 4 depicts a schematic diagram of an exemplary system for 3-Dmodeling of a digital bite line;

FIGS. 5 and 6 depict respective flow diagrams methods for analyzing animage of a shoe part; and

FIG. 7 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary computing device that maybe used with systems and methods in accordance with the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of certain aspects of the present invention isdescribed with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. Butthe description itself is not intended to define what is regarded as aninvention, which is what the claims do. The claimed subject matter maycomprise different elements or combinations of elements similar to theones described in this document, in conjunction with other present orfuture technologies. Terms should not be interpreted as implying anyparticular order among or between various elements herein disclosedunless explicitly stated.

Subject matter described herein relates to automated three-dimensional(“3-D”) modeling of a shoe part, and FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary system10 that may perform various actions to analyze images of shoe part 12.Three-dimensional modeling refers to generation of dimension data thatrepresent 3-D features of the shoe part. For example, dimension data maycomprise coordinate points of a 3-D coordinate system, as well as 3-Drepresentations of the shoe part that are renderable using the dimensiondata. Dimension data may be generated using various techniques, such asby combining data derived from scans or images of a shoe part.

Shoe part 12 of FIG. 1 may be a variety of different shoe parts. Thatis, although shoe part 12 is generically depicted, shoe part 12 may be,among other things, a shoe outsole, a shoe midsole, a midsole andoutsole assembly, a shoe upper (lasted or unlasted shoe upper), acomponent of a shoe upper, or a combination of shoe parts. As such, shoepart 12 may have a variety of different characteristics, such as size,shape, texture, materials, surface topography, etc. For example, shoepart 12 is comprised of a shoe-part surface 14, which may be comprisedof various surface topographies. A surface topography refers to thevarious contours that comprise shoe-part surface 14. For example,although surface 14 is depicted as flat for illustrative purposes, asurface topography may be comprised of a convex surface, a concavesurface, or a combination thereof.

Shoe part 12 may be supported by a shoe-part moving apparatus 16, whichmay move shoe part 12 through a series of positions. Arrows 18 and 20illustrates that shoe-part moving apparatus 16 may move shoe part 12forward and backward, or left and right. For example, shoe-part movingapparatus 16 may comprise a conveyor that supports shoe part 12 on aconveyor belt.

Arrow 22 illustrates that shoe-part moving apparatus 16 may rotate shoepart 12. For example, shoe-part moving apparatus 16 may comprise aservo-motor-driven turntable or other rotating apparatus. Shoe-partmoving apparatus 16 may additionally and/or alternatively comprisearticulating arms with clamps, chain or belt driven gripping devices,suction tools, ramps, or any other apparatus capable of moving shoeparts. Moreover, arrow 24 illustrates that shoe-part moving apparatus 16may move shoe part 12 up and down.

System 10 may also comprise a laser 26 that projects a laser beam 28onto shoe part 12, such as onto surface 14. Laser beam 28 may comprisevarious configurations having different shapes, sizes, widths, etc. FIG.1 depicts an exemplary flat laser beam 28 (i.e., a “fan”) that, whenprojected onto shoe part 12, reflects a projected laser line 30 across asection of surface 14. The projected laser line 30 may also appear onshoe-part moving apparatus 16, depending on a width and angle of laserbeam 28. For example, a section 31 of projected laser line 30 isdepicted on shoe-part moving apparatus 16.

Laser 26 may comprise a laser line generator (e.g., laser micro linegenerator or laser macro line generator) having various features andcapabilities. Exemplary features comprise an adjustable fan angle;homogenous intensity distribution; constant line width (i.e., thicknessthroughout whole measuring area); adjustable width; adjustable spectralrange (e.g., 635 nm-980 nm); and adjustable power (e.g., up to 100 mW inthe visible range and up to 105 mW in the IR range). In one aspect,laser 26 may have a fan angle of 40 degrees, a line length of 180 mm, aline width (i.e., thickness) of 0.108 mm, a working distance of 245 mm,a Rayleigh Range of 12 mm, a focusing range of 205-510 mm, and aconvergence of 0.7 degrees.

Various aspects of laser 26 may be adjusted in coordination withshoe-part characteristics. For example, a color of laser beam 28 may beset or adjusted based on a color of shoe part 12. That is, certaincombinations of laser-beam color and shoe-part color may allow theprojected laser line 30 to be better recorded using camera 32. As such,the laser-beam color may be adjusted accordingly based on a shoe-partcolor.

Moreover, power levels of laser 26 may be adjusted based on a color ofshoe part 12. For example, a single laser may have an adjustable powersetting, such that the single laser may be adjusted based on shoe-partcolor. In another example, multiple lasers that have different powerlevels may be interchangeably utilized based on a color of shoe part 12.In a further example, multiple lasers may be arranged at a singlestation. In one aspect of the invention, a high-power laser may beutilized when projecting a beam onto a shoe part that is colored black(or is non-white). In a further aspect of the invention, a low-powerlaser may be utilized when projecting a beam onto a shoe part that iscolored white. In a further aspect, multiple lasers may be used at thesame time when a part is multi-colored. For example, both a high-powerlaser and a low-power laser may project respective beams onto a shoepart that is colored black and white. Camera 32 is positioned to recordan image 34 of projected laser line 30, which extends across surface 14.As such, image 34 depicts a representation 36 and 38 of the projectedlaser line 30 as it appears reflected across shoe-part moving apparatus16 and across shoe-part surface 14. That is, representation 36 depictsprojected laser line 30 as it appears on shoe-part moving apparatus 16and representation 38 depicts projected laser line 30 as it appears onshoe-part surface 14.

Camera 32 may have various features and characteristics. In an exemplaryaspect, camera 32 may have a ½″ progressive scan charge-coupled device(“CCD”) that functions as a sensor. The camera 32 may be eithermonochrome and/or have color features (e.g., Bayer mosaic). In addition,camera 32 may have an adjustable frame rate (i.e., frames per second)that allows camera 32 to record a number of images in a given amount oftime. For example, camera 32 may be able to record 31 frames per second.Other exemplary characteristics of camera 32 may be a chip size (e.g.,4.65 mm×4.65 mm), a number of pixels 1392×1040, a pixel size,sensitivity, etc.

Camera 32, laser 26, and shoe-part moving apparatus 16 may becooperatively programmed to generate a plurality of images 41 ofprojected laser lines at various positions on shoe-part surface 14. FIG.1 depicts a plurality of images 41, some of which are depicted withbroken lines for illustrative purposes. Each image of plurality 41 maydepict a different representation of the projected laser line when theprojected laser line appears on a different section of shoe-part surface14. For example, shoe-part moving apparatus 16 may move shoe part 12 inthe direction of either arrows 18 or 22 while laser 26 projects laserbeam 28 onto shoe-part surface 14. Alternatively, laser 26 may be movedrelative to shoe-part surface 14, or both may be moved in a knownfashion. A frames-per-second setting of camera 32 may be programmed tocapture a plurality of images while shoe part 12 moves relative to laser26 in the direction of arrow 18 or 22. Because shoe part 12 is beingmoved while laser beam 28 remains fixed, projected laser line 30 appearsacross different sections while the plurality of images are captured. Assuch, each of the plurality of images 41 may depict a differentrepresentation of the projected laser line 30 as it appears across arespective section of shoe part 12.

In another aspect, the settings of camera 32, laser 26, and shoe-partmoving apparatus 16 are coordinated to record a number of images thatare sufficient to derive desired shoe-part information. For example,camera 32 may be set to record about 31 frames per second and shoe-partmoving apparatus 16 may be set to move about 20 mm per second. Undersuch parameters, an image may be recorded at about every 0.5 mm of theshoe part 12. However, in other aspects, the scan rate may be adjustedup or down based on the speed of shoe-part moving apparatus (and viceversa). Moreover, settings may be adjusted to record images at adistance apart that is less than 0.5 mm or greater than 0.5 mm.

Settings (e.g., aperture, shutter speed, etc.) of camera 32 may beadjusted, such that the representation 36 of projected laser line 30 isenhanced in image 34 relative to other portions of shoe part 12 that maybe depicted in image 34. Moreover, settings of camera 32 and/or settingsof laser 26 may be adjusted in a coordinated manner to capture images ofprojected laser lines that are of a sufficient quality to be analyzed.For example, settings may be adjusted to minimize blurring of theprojected laser line both when projected across a shoe part and whendepicted in an image. In a further aspect, system 10 may be set up in avacuum chamber in order allow for more clear depictions of the projectedlaser lines to be captured. That is, in some environments, lightscattering caused by white-colored shoe parts may result in an imagehaving a less desirable quality. Arranging system 10 in a vacuum mayreduce scattering caused by white-colored shoe parts.

In another aspect, settings are established based on a color of part 12and a number of lasers that are used in system 10. For example, asdescribed above, when a part is colored black and white, a low-powerlaser and a high-power laser may be utilized. In such an aspect, thecamera scan rate may be doubled to record images of both the linecreated by the low-power laser and the line created by the high-powerlaser. In a further aspect, camera 32 may be used to sense a color ofshoe part 12. As such, a power setting of laser 26 may be automaticallyadjusted based on a color of shoe part 12 that is sensed by camera 32.In the case where more than one camera is utilized, the settings on oneof the cameras may be adjusted based on a first color of shoe part 12(e.g., black) Likewise, the settings on another of the cameras may beadjusted based on a second color of shoe part 12 (e.g., white).

In a further aspect, system 10 may execute various operations to analyzeimages 41 captured by camera 32 and to combine dimension data derivedtherefrom. For example, system 10 may analyze image 34 to derive imagecoordinate points 40 and 42 of representations 36 and 38. Imagecoordinate points 40 and 42 may each be represented by a respective setof coordinate values relative to coordinate system 44. For example, theset of coordinate values may comprise a height element (e.g., Z ofcoordinate system 44) and a width element (e.g., Y of coordinate system44), each of which is based on a coordinate system that defines image34.

Moreover, the set of coordinate values that define points 40 and 42 mayalso comprise a depth value (e.g., X of coordinate system 44), which isrelative to other images in the plurality 41 and may be determined basedon a speed at which shoe-part moving apparatus 16 moves shoe part 12 anda frames-per-second setting of camera 32. For example, system 10 may beprogrammed to also determine a different set of coordinate values ofcoordinate point 46 of image 48. As such, the respective depth values ofpoint 40 and 46 may be respective to one another based on a movementspeed of shoe-part moving apparatus 16 and a frame-per-second rate ofcamera 32.

As depicted, representations 36 and 38 comprise multiple coordinatepoints, the coordinate values of which may all be determined to definerepresentations 36 and 38 as depicted in image 34. Likewise, each of theother images of plurality 41 also may comprise respective multiplecoordinate points. As such, system 10 may analyze each image of theplurality 41 to determine image coordinate values of respectivecoordinate points that define the representation in each image. Theimage coordinate values of all of the representations captured fromimages of shoe part 12 may be combined to create animage-coordinate-value set, which defines the entire shoe-part surface14.

An image-coordinate-value set may be used in various ways. For example,an image-coordinate-value set may be used to render a 3-D model 50 ofshoe-part surface 14. The 3-D model 50 may be based on variouscoordinate systems. That is, once conversions are determined, coordinatevalues derived from images 41 can be converted into a desired coordinatesystem. For example, as depicted in FIG. 1, 3-D model 50 is rendered incoordinate system 52, which may be part of a 3-D-image-renderingcomputer program. Such 3-D-image-rendering computer programs may build3-D model 50 by, for example, using the coordinate values to construct aseries of interlocking triangles that define the shoe-part surface 14.Further, a series of normal lines may be generated that areperpendicular to the surface of each of the triangles. These normallines may be used, for instance, for determining a robot tool path. Forexample, spray adhesive may be applied parallel to the normal lines,and, by extension, perpendicular to the surface of the triangles thatcomprise the shoe-part surface 14.

Based on calibrations of camera 32, laser 26, and shoe part-movingapparatus 16, coordinate values derived from images 41 may also beconverted to a geometric coordinate system 54, which defines a space inwhich shoe part 12 is physically positioned. Moreover, geometriccoordinate system 54 may further define a space in which automatedshoe-part manufacturing tools operate, such that coordinate valuesderived from images 41 and converted to system 54 are useable to notifysuch tools of 3-D features of shoe part 12. For instance and asmentioned above, using the coordinate values, a robot tool path may begenerated. Such robot tool paths may be useful for cutting, sprayingadhesive or paint, stitching, attaching, lasering, molding, and thelike.

Once values are derived from images 41, the dimension data may be usedin various manners. For example, dimension data may be used to determinea size of a shoe part or a shape of a shoe part. In addition, dimensiondata may be used to analyze how a shoe part may be assembled with othershoe parts from which other dimension data has been derived. In anotheraspect, dimension data may be used to identify defects in a shoe part orto otherwise execute quality-control measures. Moreover, dimension datamay be communicated to other shoe-manufacturing apparatuses and/orsystems, to enable the apparatus or system to carry out a manufacturingfunction, such as cutting, attaching, stockfitting, stacking, etc.

As indicated, determining values of coordinate points may be based oncalibrations that take into account relative positions and settings ofcamera 32, laser 26, and shoe-part moving apparatus 16. Positions ofthese elements in FIG. 1 are merely exemplary and are provided forillustrative purposes. As such, these elements may be arranged in otherpositions and arrangements, so long as the alternative positions andarrangements are taken into account when calibrating the system. Forexample, FIG. 1 depicts one camera 32 and one laser 26. However, system10 may comprise more than one camera and more than one laser thatcapture the same or alternative aspects of shoe part 12. In addition,laser 26 is depicted perpendicular to shoe part 12 and shoe-part movingapparatus 16; however, laser 26 may also be arranged horizontal to shoepart 12 or at an angle above or below shoe part 12. Likewise, camera 32may be positioned at various angles respective to projected laser line30, so long as the angle is accounted for when calibrating the system10.

In addition, system 10 may comprise computing device 60 that may helpexecute various operations, such as by analyzing images 41, determiningcoordinate values, and solving conversions. Computing device 60 may be asingle device or multiple devices and may be physically integrated withthe various elements of system 10 or may be physically distinct from thevarious elements. Computing device 60 may interact with one or morecomponents of system 10 using any media and/or protocol. Further,computing device 60 may be located proximate or remote from componentsof system 10.

Various aspects of FIG. 1 have been described that may also beapplicable to other systems described in this disclosure, such assystems depicted in FIGS. 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b , and 4. Accordingly, whendescribing these other systems, reference may also be made to FIG. 1 andaspects described in FIG. 1 may apply in these other systems.

Referring now to FIG. 2a , an example of a system 210 is depicted thatrecords and analyzes images of a shoe bottom 212, which is also shown ina larger view 213 for illustrative purposes. Shoe bottom 212 maycomprise a shoe midsole, which may be attached to a shoe outsole (notshown) when assembled into a shoe. Surface 214 of shoe bottom 212 isdepicted that may be an interior surface, which is coupled to a shoeupper. Side wall 216 protrudes around shoe bottom 212 and forms aperimeter of the interior surface 214, such that surface 214 may have agenerally concave surface topography.

System 210 may have a conveyor 218 or other apparatus that retains andmoves shoe bottom 212 in the direction of arrow 220. In addition, system210 may comprise a laser 222 that projects a laser beam 224 onto surface214 of shoe bottom 212 as conveyor 218 moves shoe bottom 212 in thedirection of arrow 220. When laser beam 224 is projected onto surface214, a projected laser line 226 appears across a section of shoe bottom212, and a projected laser line 228 may also appear across a belt ofconveyor 218.

System 210 may also have a camera 230 that records an image 232 of theprojected laser lines 226 and 228, and image 232 may comprise arepresentation 234 depicting projected laser lines 226 and 228.Moreover, camera 230 may record a plurality of images 236 as conveyor218 moves shoe part 212 in the direction of arrow 220. Each image of theplurality 236 depicts a respective representation of the projected laserline when the projected laser line extends across a respective sectionof shoe part 212.

Moreover, system 210 may have a computing device that maintainsinformation depicted in table 238. Table 238 depicts a column ofrecorded images 240, such as images that are recorded by camera 230 asshoe part 212 is moved by conveyor 218. For example, image 242 depicts arepresentation of the projected laser line that is a straight line.Accordingly, image 242 may have been recorded before shoe part 212 wasmoved under laser beam 224, such that the projected laser line extendsonly across a belt of conveyor 218. However, images 244, 246, and 248each depict respective representations of a projected laser line and mayhave been recorded at different instances in time when shoe part 212 wasmoving under laser beam 224. For example, image 232 may be stored asimage 248 in table 238.

Table 238 also comprises various dimension data that may be derived fromimages 236, 242, 244, 246, and 248, such as 2-D image coordinates 250,3-D image coordinates 252, and 3-D geometric coordinates 254.Two-dimensional image coordinates 250 may comprise coordinate valuesthat define a coordinate point in a plane of an image. For example,coordinate values of an ordered set may define a height (e.g., Z) and awidth (e.g., Y) based on coordinate system 256. As such, coordinatepoint 257 depicted in image 232 may be defined by values 260 and 262stored in table 238. That is, values 260 and 262 are Y and Z values(respectively) for image 248. Accordingly, each of the coordinate pointsdepicted in image 232 may be represented by coordinate values in table238.

Moreover, ordered sets of 3-D image coordinates 252 may comprise a thirdcoordinate value for depth (i.e., X), and as described with respect toFIG. 1, the depth value may be calculated based on various factors, suchas a speed of conveyor 218 and a frame-per-second value of camera 230.Table 238 is merely shown for illustrative purposes and the informationdepicted therein in FIG. 2a may be stored or organized in various otherways. For example, 3-D image coordinates may be stored separate fromother dimension data in a comma delimited text file (e.g., extension.xyz), which can be opened by a computer program (e.g., CAD program) torender a scan of surface 214.

Other exemplary dimension data of table 238 may be 3-D geometriccoordinates 254, which are determined based on a conversion from 3-Dimage coordinates. Three-dimensional geometric coordinates 254 mayrepresent a conversion into the physical space in which shoe part 212 ispositioned. Moreover, 3-D coordinates 254 may be based on coordinatesystem 256 that defines a space in which shoe-manufacturing toolsoperate, such that 3-D coordinates are formatted to be communicated toautomated shoe-manufacturing tools. As depicted in table 238, 3-Dgeometric coordinate values 254 comprise an X, Y, and Z, as well asrespective directional information of each of the points.Three-dimensional geometric coordinates 254 may be generated usingvarious techniques. For example, an .xyz file may be read by aconversion computer program to generate a file of 3-D geometriccoordinates.

Based on a compilation of dimension data, such as 3-D image coordinates252, 3-D geometric coordinates 254, or a combination thereof, a 3-D scan258 may be built that depicts shoe part 212. Moreover, based on thecompilation of dimension data, the position of shoe part 212, as well asthe surface topography of surface 214, may be communicated to variousshoe-manufacturing apparatuses. Once a position and surface topographyare known by shoe-manufacturing tools, certain processes may be carriedout in an automated fashion. For example, an adhesive may be applied toshoe bottom 212 in an automated manner following a robot tool path inorder to attach shoe bottom 212 to a shoe upper.

When analyzing dimension data derived from images recorded by camera230, some data may be filtered. For example, dimension data derived fromimage 242 may be filtered since image 242 may depict a representation ofthe projected laser line only extending across conveyor 218, and notacross any portion of shoe bottom 212. Such filterable data may beidentified using various analysis techniques, such as determining thatall of the height values are close to zero value that is establishedbased on a position of conveyor 218.

In addition, analysis of image 232 may generate other dimension datathat is filterable. That is, image 232 depicts representation 270, whichis encircled for explanatory purposes. Representation 270 illustrates atype of filterable noise that may sometimes be depicted in images as aresult of camera settings and shoe-part colors. For example, when camerasettings (e.g., relative aperture and shutter speed) are adjusted to aparticular exposure, shoe parts that are all black can be scannedwithout creating undesirable noise. As such, this exposure setting isreferred to herein as an “all-black-shoe exposure setting.” However,when the all-black-shoe exposure setting is used to record an image ofshoe part that is comprised of some white portions (e.g., anall-white-colored shoe part or a black-and-white-colored shoe part),noise similar to representation 270 appears in the image.

Noise depicted by representation 270 may be filtered by applying varioustechniques. For example, it may be assumed that if noise is going toappear in an image, the noise will be above and/or below a wanted ordesired profile (i.e., a representation of the projected laser line asit appears across the shoe-part surface). As such, the noise may bemathematically filtered by removing coordinate points that have a samewidth value (e.g., Y), but have a higher and/or lower height value(e.g., Z) than adjacent coordinate points. For example, the coordinatepoint positioned along representation 270 may have a same Y value(width) as coordinate point 280; however, representation 270 will have ahigher Z value (height) than a neighboring coordinate point (e.g.,coordinate point 280). As such, the coordinate point alongrepresentation 270 may be filtered.

Noise may also be filtered applying other techniques. For example, acurve may be mathematically generated that best fits the various pointsdepicted in image 232. For example, normal lines (lines perpendicular tothe surface of shoe bottom 212) may be generated, and a curve may bemathematically generated that best fits the various normal lines. In anexemplary aspect, a least-squares-fitting method is applied to determinea best-fit curve. In addition, a parabolic function and/or Fourierseries may be used as an approximating function in combination with theleast-squares-fitting method. Once a best-fit curve has been determined,a distance of a coordinate from the best-fit curve is compared to adistance threshold. Coordinates that are greater than a thresholddistance away from the best-fit curve may be filtered.

In addition, noise may be filtered by comparing distances between pointand neighboring points to a threshold. For example, if a point isgreater than a threshold distance (e.g., 0.2 mm) away from neighboringpoints, the point may be identified as noise and filtered. In anotheraspect, a number of coordinates that are allowed to be in a group (e.g.,a group may be those coordinates depicted in image 232) may be capped,such that coordinates in excess of the cap are filtered. In anotheraspect a distance between points in a series may be measured (e.g., thedistance between the (n)th coordinate and the (n+1)th coordinate) andcompared to a threshold distance. If the distance between n and n+1exceeds the threshold, then n+1 may be filtered as noise; however, ifthe distance between n and n+1 is below the threshold, n+1 may be kept.

FIG. 2c depicts another filtering step that may be used to furtherremove unwanted noise utilizing methods described above (e.g., theleast-squares-fitting method using normal lines). FIG. 2c depicts animage 282 of a shoe bottom, such as shoe bottom 212. The image 282 isgenerated by compiling or “stitching together” multiple, cross-sectionallaser scans 284 of the shoe bottom. Multiple, longitudinal virtual scans286 are generated across the surface of the shoe bottom and are used toadditionally filter unwanted noise. Although a finite number ofcross-sectional laser scans 284 and longitudinal virtual scans 286 aredepicted, it is contemplated that cross-sectional laser scans 284 andlongitudinal virtual scans 286 may encompass any number of scans.

In addition, FIG. 2b depicts another approach that may be used toaddress noise depicted in representation 270 by arranging a system 290that is modified from system 210. In system 290, cameras 230 a and 230 bmay be installed side-by-side. Camera 230 a may comprise anall-black-shoe exposure setting, such that if shoe part 212 is comprisedof parts that are black and parts that are white, noise depicted byrepresentation 270 may be created. Alternatively, camera 230 b may becomprised of an all-white-shoe exposure setting, such that image 272that is recorded does not depict noise. However, in image 272black-colored portions of shoe part 212 are difficult to see and areencircled by 274 for illustrative purposes. Accordingly, by combiningthe proper line representations (e.g., the proper width values) fromeach of image 232 and 272 a complete 3D model of shoe part 212 may bebuilt. To facilitate such a combining of lines, cameras 232 a and 232 bare installed side-by-side, each one having a respective setting (e.g.,either all black or all white). Then cameras 232 a and 232 b recordimages at the same instance in time and the same frequency, such thatdata derived from the images may be combined.

Referring back to FIG. 2a components are depicted that communicate byway of a network. For example, while table 238 and scan 258 are depictedas being directly connected to the network, these elements may actuallybe maintained or rendered by one or more computing devices thatcommunicate via network.

Moreover, while principles and components of FIG. 2a are described in acontext of analyzing images of a shoe bottom, the same or similarprinciples and components may equally apply or be similarly used whenanalyzing images of other shoe parts. For example, the categories ofdimension data depicted by table 238 may also be used to analyze imagesof other shoe parts, such as a shoe upper, or a combination of a shoeupper and a shoe bottom.

Referring now to FIGS. 3a and 3b , examples of other systems 310 and 350are depicted that record and analyze images of a shoe upper 312, whichis also shown in a larger view 313 for illustrative purposes. Shoe upper312 may be lasted onto last 315. Shoe upper 312 may be attached to ashoe bottom (e.g., shoe bottom 212 of FIG. 2a ) when assembled into ashoe. Surface 314 of shoe upper 312 is depicted that may be coupled to ashoe bottom. Surface 314 may be comprised of both a bottom wall 322(which may be a strobel) of shoe upper 312, as well as at least aportion of a side wall 324. As such, surface 314 may have a generallyconvex surface topography, as depicted by illustrative line 316.

Similar to system 210, systems 310 and 350 may have an apparatus thatretains and moves shoe upper 312, a laser that projects a laser beamonto shoe upper 312, and a camera that records images. However, becausea bottom wall 322 of shoe upper 312 may be wider than a side wall 324,it may be desirable to position the laser in a nonperpendicularorientation. That is, if a laser were positioned perpendicular to bottomwall 322, the laser beam may only be projected onto the wider portion ofsurface 314 and may not reach a narrower portion of surface 314 alongside wall 324. As such, FIGS. 3a and 3b depict exemplary systems inwhich one or more lasers are positioned in a nonperpendicularorientation with respect to bottom wall 322.

In FIG. 3a , system 310 may have a servo-motor-driven turntable 318 orother apparatus that retains and moves shoe upper 312 in the directionof arrow 320. In addition, system 310 may comprise a laser 326 thatprojects a laser beam 328 onto surface 314 of shoe upper 312 asturntable 318 moves shoe upper 312 in the direction of arrow 320. Whenlaser beam 328 is projected onto surface 314, a projected laser line 330appears across a section of shoe upper 312. FIG. 3a depicts that laser326 may be angled relative to bottom wall 322, such that laser beam 328may be projected onto both side wall 324 and bottom wall 322. However,when laser beam 328 is a flat beam, a plane of the flat beam may stillextend perpendicularly even though laser 326 is angled.

System 310 may also have a camera 332 that records an image 334 of theprojected laser line 330, and image 334 may comprise a representation336 depicting projected laser line 330. As depicted, representation 336depicts a portion 335 a that represents projected laser line 330 as itappears across bottom wall 322 and a portion 335 b that representsprojected laser line 330 as it appears across side wall 324.

Moreover, camera 332 may record a plurality of images 338 as turntable318 moves shoe upper 312 in the direction of arrow 320. Each image ofthe plurality of images 338 may depict a respective representation ofthe projected laser line when the projected laser line 330 extendsacross a respective section of shoe upper 312. Because turntable 318 maymove shoe upper 312 in a 360-degree rotation, and laser beam 328 isprojected onto both a side wall 324 and a bottom wall 322,representations depicted by the plurality of images may capture theprojected laser line 330 reflected around the entire surface 314. Oncethe plurality of images have been recorded that represent a 360-degreeprofile of shoe upper 312, dimension data may be derived from the imagesas described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 a.

Referring to FIG. 3b , another system 350 is depicted in which multiplelasers may be positioned in a nonperpendicular orientation with respectto bottom wall 322. System 350 may comprise a conveyor 358 or otherapparatus that retains and moves shoe upper 312 in the direction ofarrow 360. In addition, system 350 may comprise multiple lasers 352 and354 that project laser beams 362 and 364 (respectively) onto differentsections of surface 314 of shoe upper 312 as conveyor 358 moves shoeupper 312 in the direction of arrow 360. When describing system 350,beams 362 and 364 may be referred to a first laser beam and a secondlaser beam.

When laser beams 362 and 364 are projected onto surface 314, multipleprojected laser lines appear across respective sections of shoe upper312. FIG. 3b depicts that lasers 352 and 354 may be angled relative tobottom wall 322, such that laser beams 362 and 364 may be projected ontoboth side wall 324 and bottom wall 322. When laser beams 362 and 364 areflat beams, planes of the flat beams may still extend perpendicularlyeven though lasers 352 and 354 are angled. Lasers 352 and 354 may bepositioned at different angles with respect to surface 314 (e.g., aboveand below surface 314) in order to generate dimension data. As well,lasers 352 and 354 may be positioned directly across from one another,such that when laser beams 362 and 364 are projected onto respectivesections of surface 314, laser beams 362 and 364 may overlap. As such, acurtain of overlapping laser beams 366 may be formed that also extendsperpendicular to a belt surface of conveyor 358.

System 350 may have multiple cameras 368 and 370 positioned to captureimages 372 and 374 (respectively). Image 372 depicts a representation376 of a projected laser line created by laser beam 362. On the otherhand, image 374 depicts a representation 378 of a projected laser linecreated by laser beam 364. Moreover, cameras 368 and 370 may record aplurality of images shoe upper 312 is moved through a series ofpositions in the direction of arrow 360. Because laser beams 362 and 364may be projected onto sections of both side wall 324 and bottom wall 322that extend from a toe area to a heel area (i.e., as shoe upper 312moves along the conveyor) representations depicted by the plurality ofimages may capture the entire surface 314. Once the plurality of imageshas been recorded, dimension data may be derived from the images asdescribed with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 a. In addition, the dimensiondata derived from images of camera 368 may be combined with thedimension data derived from images of camera 370. In this respect,representations 376 and 378 are “stitched” together.

Referring to FIG. 4, an example of another system 410 is depicted thatrecords and analyzes images of shoe parts, which may comprise a firstshoe part fixed onto a second shoe part. For example, a first shoe partmay be a shoe bottom 412 and a second shoe part may be a lasted shoeupper 414. Various temporary-attachment techniques orpermanent-attachment techniques may be used to attach shoe bottom toshoe upper 414. For example, shoe bottom 412 may be temporarily attachedto upper 414 using jigs. Moreover, shoe bottom 412 may be compressedagainst upper 414 by applying an amount of pressure that would beapplied when shoe bottom 412 are upper 414 are attached in a morepermanent fashion, such as when a shoe is constructed. For example,continuous pressure may be applied to simulate a position of part 412with respect to part 414 when part 412 is attached to part 414 in a shoeconstruction. In one aspect, the amount of pressure applied may beapproximately 30 kg/cm² or more.

Broken lines 416 a-d are depicted in an exploded view 418 to illustratea possible alignment of a shoe bottom 420 and lasted shoe upper 422prior to attachment. Accordingly, shoe bottom 420 is comprised of aterminal edge 424 that forms a perimeter around surface 426. Surface 426may abut surface 428 of shoe upper 422 when the shoe parts areassembled, such that terminal edge 424 may encircle shoe upper 422.

System 410 may have a servo-motor-driven turntable 415 or otherapparatus that retains and moves the compressed assembly of shoe upper414 and shoe bottom 412 in the direction of arrow 417. Alternatively,turntable 415 may comprise any apparatus that holds the compressed shoeupper 414 and shoe bottom 412 stationary while laser 430 and camera 438rotate relative to shoe upper 414 and shoe bottom 412. System 410 alsomay comprise a laser 430 that horizontally projects a laser beam 432onto a junction of shoe bottom 412 and shoe upper 414 while pressure isbeing applied, such that a first segment 434 of a projected laser lineappears on shoe bottom 412 and a second segment 436 of the projectedlaser line appears on shoe upper 414. As previously described, aterminal edge of shoe bottom 412 encircles the lasted shoe upper 414,such that an outside surface of shoe bottom 412 may not be flush with anoutside surface of shoe upper 414. Accordingly, first segment 434 maynot be continuous with second segment 436, such as is depicted atjunction 435.

System 410 may further comprise a camera 438 that records an image 440of the first segment 434 and the second segment 436. As such, image 440may comprise a first-segment representation 442 depicting first segment434 and a second-segment representation 444 depicting second segment436. FIG. 4 illustrates that an interface region 446 is represented inimage 440 between first-segment representation 442 and second-segmentrepresentation 444. Interface region 446 may result from an outsidesurface of shoe bottom 412 not being flush with an outside surface ofshoe upper 414, which may cause first segment 434 to be unaligned,misaligned, intersecting, or otherwise discontinuous with second segment436.

System 410 may identify a coordinate point 448 that at least partiallydefines interface region 446. Moreover, by applying image analysistechniques described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 a, system 410 mayderive dimension data of the interface region, such as 3-D imagecoordinate values and 3-D geometric coordinate values. This derivedinformation may be defined by system 410 as a “bite point” whichidentifies a digital point at which terminal edge 424 of shoe bottom 412meets shoe upper 414 along one section of the assembly.

Moreover, camera 438 may record a plurality of images as turntable 415moves in the direction of arrow 417. Each image of the plurality ofimages may depict a respective first-segment representation, arespective second-segment representation, and a respective interfaceportion. Accordingly, from all of the respective interface portions,system 410 may determine a digital bite point of each image. Becauseturntable 415 may move the assembly in a 360-degree rotation, system 410may determine digital bite points around the entire interface betweenthe shoe-bottom terminal edge and shoe upper 414. By combining all ofthe digital bite points, system 410 may derive a digital bite line.

A digital bite line represents a set of dimension data, which defines aposition around a perimeter of a shoe upper that a shoe-bottom terminaledge will be aligned. A digital bite line may be used in variousmanners. For example, system 410 may update dimension data (e.g., 3-Dgeometric coordinates) that may be derived from systems 310 and 350 ofFIGS. 3a-b and that may define a surface of a shoe upper. As such,dimension data that defines a surface topography of a shoe upper mayalso define a digital bite line that circumscribes the shoe-uppersurface.

Moreover, the digital bite line may be communicated toshoe-manufacturing tools that execute various steps in ashoe-manufacturing process. For example, a digital bit line may helpfacilitate automated spraying, buffing, assembly, customization, andquality inspection of an area of shoe upper that falls below the digitalbite line—i.e., in an area that will be covered by a shoe midsole orshoe bottom when the shoe is assembled.

A digital bite line may be generated by applying other techniques aswell. For example, as indicated above, part 412 may be assembled ontopart 414. In one aspect of the invention, a camera may record images asthe assembly is rotated (or as the camera rotates around the assembly).As such, the camera may analyze the images by applying patternrecognition, color analysis, etc. to detect a bite point withoutrequiring reflection of a projected laser line. The detected bite pointsmay be combined to establish a bite line. The bite points and bite linemay be correlated with a CAD program or other computer-assisted drawingapplication.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a flow diagram is depicted of a method 510 foranalyzing scans of a shoe part to generate dimension data, which isuseable to model three-dimensional (3-D) features of the shoe part. Indescribing FIG. 5, reference is also be made to FIG. 1. In addition,method 510, or at least a portion thereof, may be carried out when acomputing device executes a set of computer-executable instructionsstored on computer storage media.

At step 512 a laser beam (e.g., 28) is projected onto a shoe-partsurface (e.g., 14) of the shoe part (e.g., 12) that is comprised of asurface topography. Accordingly, a projected laser line (e.g., 30) mayextend across a section of the shoe-part surface. Step 514 comprisesrecording an image (e.g., 34) of the projected laser line, and the imagemay depict a representation (e.g., 36) of the projected laser line. Inaddition, the image may depict an extraneous representation of light,such as a representation of light reflected off a shoe-part-movingapparatus or a representation of scattered light (e.g., 270 in FIGS. 2aand 2b ). Furthermore, at step 516, coordinate points (e.g., 40) aredetermined that define the representation of the line as depicted in theimage. When coordinate points are determined, a filtering method may beapplied to remove noisy coordinate points. That is, as described above,noisy coordinate points may be generated representing a projected laserline that is not reflected across a portion of a shoe part that is ofinterest. For example, noisy coordinate points may be generatedrepresenting a projected laser line that extends across ashoe-part-moving apparatus and/or representing some light scattering(e.g., point 270). As such, one or more various filtering methods may beused to remove the noisy coordinate points. Exemplary filtering methodsare described above, such as removing points that are greater than athreshold distance away from a best-fit curve, which is determined usinga least-squares method. In another exemplary filtering method,coordinate values are deemed noisy when a coordinate height value iswithin a threshold distance of a zero value (i.e., fails to satisfy aheight threshold). In addition, a point may be filtered when the pointis greater than a threshold distance away from a neighboring point.These are merely exemplary filtering methods and a variety of otherfiltering methods may also be utilized.

Method 510 may also comprise, at step 518, combining the coordinatepoints with a plurality of other coordinate points (e.g., 46), which arederived from additional images (e.g., 41) recorded when the laser beamis projected onto other sections of the shoe-part surface. As such, acombination of coordinate points that represent the surface topographyare compiled. Step 520 comprises converting the combination ofcoordinate points into geometric coordinate points that represent a 3-Dmodel (e.g., 50) of the surface topography.

Referring now to FIG. 6, another flow diagram is depicted of a method610 for analyzing scans of a shoe part to generate dimension data, whichis useable to model three-dimensional (3-D) features of the shoe part.In describing FIG. 6, reference is also be made to FIGS. 3a and 4. Inaddition, method 610, or at least a portion thereof, may be carried outwhen a computing device executes a set of computer-executableinstructions stored on computer storage media.

At step 612 a shoe bottom (e.g., 420) is attached onto a lasted shoeupper (e.g., 422), such that a terminal edge (e.g., 424) of the shoebottom encircles the lasted shoe upper. Further, at step 614 a laserbeam (e.g., 432) is projected onto the shoe bottom (e.g., 412) and thelasted shoe upper (e.g., 414). The laser beam is projected onto the shoebottom and the lasted shoe upper when the two portions are compressedtogether. As such, a first segment (e.g., 434) of a projected laser lineextends on the shoe bottom, and a second segment (e.g., 436) of theprojected laser line extends on the lasted shoe upper.

Method 610 may also comprise, at step 616, recording an image (e.g.,440) of the projected laser lines that depicts a first-segmentrepresentation (e.g., 442) and a second-segment representation (e.g.,444). An interface region (e.g., 446) between the first-segmentrepresentation and a second-segment representation may represent aposition of the terminal edge. At step 618, a coordinate point (e.g.,448) of the interface region is determined that defines a position ofthe interface region as depicted in the image. Furthermore, step 620comprises converting the coordinate point (e.g., 448) to a geometriccoordinate point of the lasted shoe upper (e.g., a geometric coordinatepoint derived from images 338). As such, the geometric coordinate pointmay be deemed a bite point that represents a position on the lasted shoeupper (e.g., 414) that is aligned with a portion of the terminal edge(e.g., 424).

FIGS. 4 and 6 are described with respect to a shoe upper and a shoebottom (e.g., midsole and/or outsole); however, the methods that areused to describe FIGS. 4 and 6 may also be applied to other shoe partsthat may also have parts that overlap to form an intersecting region.That is, a method similar to method 610 may be applied to a variety ofdifferent overlapping parts in order to derive a digital interface lineat which two parts meet and/or overlap. For example, shoe upperassemblies may be constructed of multiple overlapping layers ofmaterial, and a method similar to method 610 may be applied to thoseoverlapping layers to assist with alignment, quality control, partattachment, etc.

As described above, the present invention may comprise, among otherthings, a method, a system, or a set of instructions stored on one ormore computer-readable media. Information stored on thecomputer-readable media may be used to direct operations of a computingdevice, and an exemplary computing device 700 is depicted in FIG. 7.Computing device 700 is but one example of a suitable computing systemand is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use orfunctionality of invention aspects. Neither should the computing system700 be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating toany one or combination of components illustrated. Moreover, aspects ofthe invention may also be practiced in distributed computing systemswhere tasks are performed by separate or remote-processing devices thatare linked through a communications network.

Computing device 700 has a bus 710 that directly or indirectly couplesthe following components: memory 712, one or more processors 714, one ormore presentation components 716, input/output ports 718, input/outputcomponents 720, and an illustrative power supply 722. Bus 710 representswhat may be one or more busses (such as an address bus, data bus, orcombination thereof). Although the various blocks of FIG. 7 are shownwith lines for the sake of clarity, in reality, delineating variouscomponents is not so clear, and metaphorically, the lines would moreaccurately be grey and fuzzy. For example, processors may have memory.

Computing device 700 typically may have a variety of computer-readablemedia. By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable mediamay comprises Random Access Memory (RAM); Read Only Memory (ROM);Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM); flashmemory or other memory technologies; CDROM, digital versatile disks(DVD) or other optical or holographic media; magnetic cassettes,magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices,carrier wave or any other medium that can be used to encode desiredinformation and be accessed by computing device 700.

Memory 712 is comprised of tangible computer-storage media in the formof volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. Memory 712 may be removable,nonremovable, or a combination thereof. Exemplary hardware devices aresolid-state memory, hard drives, optical-disc drives, etc.

Computing device 700 is depicted to have one or more processors 714 thatread data from various entities such as memory 712 or I/O components720. Exemplary data that is read by a processor may be comprised ofcomputer code or machine-useable instructions, which may becomputer-executable instructions such as program modules, being executedby a computer or other machine. Generally, program modules such asroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., refer tocode that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes.

Presentation component(s) 716 present data indications to a user orother device. Exemplary presentation components are a display device,speaker, printing component, light-emitting component, etc. I/O ports718 allow computing device 700 to be logically coupled to other devicesincluding I/O components 720, some of which may be built in.

In the context of shoe manufacturing, a computing device 700 may be usedto determine operations of various shoe-manufacturing tools. Forexample, a computing device may be used to control a part-pickup tool ora conveyor that transfers shoe parts from one location to another. Inaddition, a computing device may be used to control a part-attachmentdevice that attaches (e.g., welds, adheres, stitches, etc.) one shoepart to another shoe part.

Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as wellas components not shown, are possible without departing from the scopeof the claims below. Aspects of our technology have been described withthe intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternativeaspects will become apparent to readers of this disclosure after andbecause of reading it. Alternative means of implementing theaforementioned can be completed without departing from the scope of theclaims below. Certain features and subcombinations are of utility andmay be employed without reference to other features and subcombinationsand are contemplated within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for generating three-dimensional modelsof shoe parts, the method comprising: adjusting a setting of one or morecameras and/or a setting of a laser based on a color of a shoe part;projecting a laser beam from the laser onto the shoe part; capturing aplurality of images of the shoe part using the one or more cameras asthe laser beam is scanned across the shoe part; generating athree-dimensional surface map for at least part of a surface of the shoepart using the plurality of images which depict projected laser linesextending across different sections of the at least part of the surfaceof the shoe part; and generating a tool path for processing the shoepart based at least in part on the three-dimensional surface map.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein, as the plurality of images are captured, thelaser is moved while the shoe part remains stationary.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein, as the plurality of images are captured, the shoe partis moved while the laser remains stationary.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein, as the plurality of images are captured, both the shoe part andthe laser are moved relative to each other.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the shoe part comprises a midsole portion of a shoe.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the shoe part comprises an outsole portion ofa shoe.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the shoe part comprises atleast part of a shoe upper.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one ormore cameras comprise a single camera.
 9. The method of claim 1, whereinthe setting that is adjusted comprises an exposure setting of the one ormore cameras.
 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising processingthe shoe part using a shoe-processing tool that is guided by thegenerated tool path.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the processingcomprises buffing or adhesive application.
 12. A system for generatingthree-dimensional models of shoe parts, the system comprising: a laseradapted to project a laser beam across a surface of a shoe part; one ormore cameras adapted to capture a plurality of images of the shoe partas the laser beam is scanned across the surface of the shoe part; and acomputing device configured to: generate a three-dimensional surface mapfor at least part of the surface of the shoe part using the plurality ofimages which depict projected laser lines extending across differentsections of the at least part of the surface of the shoe part, andgenerate a tool path for processing the shoe part based at least in parton the three-dimensional surface map, wherein a setting of the one ormore cameras and/or a setting of the laser is/are adjustable based on acolor of the shoe part.
 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising ashoe-processing tool adapted to process the shoe part using thegenerated tool path.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein theshoe-processing tool is adapted to perform buffing or adhesiveapplication.
 15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a conveyeradapted to advance the shoe part thereby allowing the laser beam to bescanned across the shoe part.
 16. The system of claim 12, furthercomprising a movement apparatus adapted to impart movement to the laserthereby allowing the laser beam to be scanned across the shoe part. 17.The system of claim 12, wherein the setting that is adjustable comprisesan exposure setting of the one or more cameras.
 18. The system of claim12, wherein the setting of the one or more cameras and the setting ofthe laser are adjustable in a coordinated manner to increase an imagequality of each of the plurality of images.
 19. A method for generatingthree-dimensional models of shoe parts, the method comprising:projecting a laser beam onto a first shoe part and a second shoe partthat are placed in contact, such that a first segment of a projectedlaser line extends on the first shoe part and a second segment of theprojected laser line extends on the second shoe part; capturing aplurality of images of the projected laser line as it is scanned alongan interface formed between the first shoe part and the second shoe partthat are in contact; determining from the plurality of images aplurality of geometric coordinate points that represent a location of aninterface line on the first shoe part that defines a junction betweenthe first shoe part and the second shoe part; and generating a tool pathusing the plurality of geometric coordinate points, the tool pathgenerated so that a manufacturing process can be applied to the firstshoe part within an area bounded by the interface line.
 20. The methodof claim 19, further comprising applying the manufacturing process tothe first shoe part using a shoe-processing tool that is guided by thegenerated tool path.